The bet
by carolineflickan
Summary: James wants Lily and the question is what he is going to do to get her. Sirius has an idea - will it help James or not? Three-shot, last part published 01/02/09. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own James or Lily, nor their friends, their teachers or their school.

_I wrote this in Swedish first but wanted to translate it. Since I'm not that good on grammar and stuff I'd be grateful if anyone told me what wrongs I'm doing._

**Chapter 1**

There was a perfectly normal October morning at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The clock turned half past eight and in the Great Hall the students sat by the four long tables, eating breakfast. So did also Lily Evans and her best friend Mary.  
It seemed to be a nice day – the lessons should start with Charms and then be followed by Defence against the dark arts and her favourite subject Potions before lunch. The weather on the other hand, wasn't much to celebrate. Every day the latest week had been rainy and chilly.  
By the table in the front of the Great Hall sat half a dozen of the teachers, calmly eating their breakfast and sometimes looking up to see if the students behaved. It was quite peaceful in the room, but to Lily it wasn't going to stay that way. Just a couple of minutes later some Gryffindor boys entered the room. James Potter went first and turned his steps to Lily. He had that stupid smile stuck on his face and the hair was as untidy as always.  
"Good morning, Evans!" he said happily. "A wonderful day, don't you think?"  
"Well, it would be much better if I didn't have to meet you", Lily murmured so low that only Mary heard it.  
James sat down on her right side, filled his plate with food and started eating.  
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.  
"Yeah, I did."  
"Glad to hear it", he said, his mouth full of eggs and toast.  
Lily couldn't help wondering who had taught him table manners – he wasn't even holding his fork in the right hand!  
"The team's got practice later", James continued. "Come and look if you want to."  
"Oh, may I? I just _can't_ wait to see seven boys flying around chasing a ball!"  
"Actually, it's not just one ball…"  
"Nice to hear that you sound as charming as ever, Lily", Sirius said and sat down opposite her. "On which side did you wake up today? Up and down?"  
Mary giggled and blushed when he met her eyes. Lily rolled her eyes and sighed. How was this possible that her best friend fell in love with that clown Sirius Black? He wasn't really ugly, but so insufferable and he didn't have any good manners. She found it strange that he didn't turned up in Slytherin as the rest of his family.

Shortly after that Lily finished her breakfast and left the Great Hall to go to the day's first lesson. It didn't start until a quarter later but she couldn't stand listening to James' babble. He was so full of himself! You'd have to search a long time for finding an idiot like him, Lily thought. Obviously his parents had told him he was the best boy in the world to many times. It wasn't getting better when she thought about having lessons with him and his friends the whole day. Remus was okay of course, he wasn't at all as disturbing as James or Sirius. Peter didn't say that much, but he'd never appear as especially clever. The more seldom he opened his mouth the better. His way of choosing friends said some things about him, Lily thought.

James sat down beside her at DADA class when he saw that the seat was untaken. She sighed – wasn't she ever going to get rid of him? With a bit of luck they wasn't going to do something practical that they, then she didn't have to work together with him at least.  
"Your hair looks good today, Evans", he said.  
"I know."  
"How submissive you are."  
"Sorry I can't say the same to you, not about the submission or the hair."  
"Not? Oh, you're hurting me, Evans!" he said, smiling and winked at her.  
"Potter, attention please!" professor Manson called. "Now I want you to split in couples and practise disarming charms on each other."  
"I promise to be careful, Evans", James said.  
She didn't answer him. They stood a couple of meters away from each other in a corner of the classroom. Other students had divided into couples and were standing here and there, wands pointed at the other one.  
"At three!" Professor Manson said. "One, two, three!"  
"Incarceros!" Lily shouted. Ropes shot out of her wand.  
"Protego!" James answered. The ropes disappeared in empty air. Lily looked a bit disappointed; she hadn't counted on his quick protecting charm.  
"Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew out if her hand and was captured by James. He smiled proudly and threw it back to her.  
"Did you think of something else, Evans?"  
"Oh, shut up, Potter!" she snorted.

They continued practicing for a while until the teacher asked them to take their seats again. He talked about the theory of the Fidelius Charm and gave them in homework to read chapter 4 for the next time they met. Lily hurried away to professor Slughorn's classroom in the dungeons. There she didn't have to worry about sitting with James, because she took a place in the front of the room and he never did in Potions.

If Lily found James a terrible moron, her friends did not. They seemed to like him more and more for every year.  
"I think James is gorgeous", Mary said when they had gone to bed that night.  
"You think everyone is", Susan giggled. "Last week you fancied Andy in Ravenclaw and the week before you were in love with Hufflepuff-Michael. But I agree with you, Potter is damn hot."  
"He doesn't look better than anyone else", Lily said. "First, he really should get a comb and second, he…"  
"You usually don't search for wrong in others, Lily."  
"In his case I don't even have to look for them."  
The other girls laughed and then Susan started talking about her Ancient Runes homework.

During Tuesday, James managed to tease Lily halfway to madness a couple of times, as usual. He started the day with putting a Bat-Bogey Hex on a fifth year student.  
"Potter! Stop that immediately!" Lily called.  
"Oh, Evans! Good morning, fair lady! I was just wondering when I would have the pleasure to hear your decent voice!"  
"I've told you not to throw bewitchments at people all the time!"  
"Well, if you go with me to Hogsmeade then I'll quit."  
Lily cursed the day he was sorted into Gryffindor. He was hopeless, completely hopeless! Just a couple of hours later he persisted in sitting down beside her at Transfiguration and before night came he asked her about Hogsmeade two more times.  
"I've told you, Potter, no!"  
"Oh come on, you know you want to! Really Evans, it's not good to lock up your feelings like that! Just let them out."  
"All right, I will let them out."  
She pointed her wand at his direction and murmured an incantation that made his armchair fall over. After that she went upstairs to the dormitory to be alone. She knew that James, or any other boy, couldn't get up there. He tried once, but then the staircase turned into a chute that made him land on the floor beneath again.

The days passed on without James reaching any success and he became more and more frustrated. His tricks used to work on all the other girls, why was the one he really wanted so obstinate? It was Friday evening and he had just returned from a Quidditch practise. Quidditch always used to clean his mind but not tonight. He couldn't think of anything, or anyone, except Lily.  
"What am I doing wrong?" he whined. "She won't give up!"  
"And neither do you", Remus said and turned page in his _Africa's monstrous magical animals and creatures_. "Is it perhaps hard for you to see that she isn't interested?"  
"She is, it's just that she hasn't realized that yet."  
"I agree with you, Moony", Sirius said, grinning. "I don't think you'll be able to persuade Lily to go with you to Hogsmeade next weekend."  
"You don't?"  
"No", his best friend said self-confidently.  
"You're wrong."  
"Wanna bet on it?"  
"Fine."  
"Good. Let's see, dear Prongs… if you don't manage to make Lily say yes within a week, then you'll have to… fly naked through the Great Hall at next Sunday morning."  
"Not _completely_ naked!"  
"Okay, you can wear your underpants, but don't choose the red ones with hearts that your mother gave you for Christmas. Besides, I don't think anyone would like to see you without clothes…"  
"And if I win, you fly!"  
"You won't win", Sirius answered. "But yes, if it makes you happier to live in the delusion of…"  
"It's nice of you to support me", James murmured.  
He put on his pyjamas and lay down underneath the quilt. It had been a long day and now all he wanted was to sleep. James was determined about winning that bet. He was kind of satisfied with his looks but he didn't want to give the whole school a naked show.  
"Why don't you try singing a serenade to her?" Sirius suggested. "That's what Muggles do, I saw that on a movie at the cinema this summer."  
"What's a cinema?" Peter asked.  
While Sirius explained that to him James fell asleep. His watch showed at ten o'clock but he was tired and he didn't feel like sitting and listening to Sirius abuses. He would persuade Lily, just wait and see!

Lily spent the Friday afternoon doing home works, as usual. She really struggled to get good marks in her NEWT:s. Mostly she sat in the library or lied in her bed, because sitting in the common room while James was there was almost impossible. She couldn't concentrate on anything as he ran around and made noise or asked her about all sorts of funny questions about Muggles and stuff. He really knew how to get on her nerves.  
When she fell asleep that night she was as convinced as ever about never going to Hogsmeade with James Potter.

_Please, review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own this. If I did, Remus would not be a were wolf._

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**Chapter 2**

On Monday evening Lily and Remus went for a prefect walk together. They did that a couple of times every week and it used to be pleasant. Remus was someone you could talk to, he didn't make her mad only by existing, even though he could be just as wild and crazy as James and Sirius when he wanted. It was quite calm at school that evening – they hadn't seen more than two pupils in the corridors. Ghosts, on the other the hand, they had seen more; the Grey Lady, the Bloody Baron and two knights, chasing each other on their horses. They also met Peeves, unfortunately. He threw a balloon filled with water after them, but didn't hit.  
"I can't understand why Dumbledore let him stay here", Lily said.  
"Who? Peeves?"  
"Yes, silly!" she laughed. "Who else? James?"  
"Maybe. You're dull to him as usual, I notice?"  
"Oh, _really_?"  
"You should give him a chance, Lily"  
"You only say that because you're his friend."  
"Actually not. Well, I know that he can be…"  
"Self-important, nagging, bothersome, a real pain in the…"  
"Yeah, that's possible…" Remus snapped. "But he really likes you."  
"The only thing he likes is his broom and being noisy."  
"And besides, I'd love to see Sirius' face when you tell James you'll go with him to Hogsmeade."  
"See Sirius' face?" Lily repeated. "What do you mean?" She sounded curious.  
"Do you really wanna know?" Remus asked. "Well then", he continued when Lily nodded. "He and James made a bet about it. It was Sirius' idea." He told Lily about the bet and she couldn't help laughing when she understood what James or Sirius had to do when they lost the bet. They really were crazy!  
"That's some interesting information, Remus", she laughed. "I can use that, you know."  
"Just don't tell them I said it!"  
"I promise."

Now all she had to do was to decide who she wanted to see fly half naked through the Great Hall, James or Sirius. If she chose James she'd see his gorgeous body but she'd make him sad, and if she chose Sirius she'd have a date for Hogsmeade. It'd be nice to go with someone else than the girls for once.  
When Lily gave it a thought, she came to the conclusion that she hadn't seen James flirting with other girls the last weeks. Was it possible that he had put his Don Juan-manners aside? Or was he only trying to get her with him to Hogsmeade while waiting for something better? Of course, Lily told Mary, who promised not to say anything, about the bet.  
"He actually seems to be deeply in love with you", Mary said.  
Susan entered the room and heard them talking about James.  
"I think you're stupid not taking the chance", she said.  
"Maybe he's changed!"  
"Say yes, Lily! It can't be totally bad!"  
"At least he'll stop nag…"  
"Yesterday he asked _me_ to persuade you!"  
"I think he's a bit desperate."  
"I'll see how I'll do", Lily said. "Actually, you must agree, it's quite funny to see him suffer like that."  
"You're cruel, Lily!" Susan laughed.  
"I feel sorry for James. He's really trying…"  
"Some reverses and barriers won't kill him. I think he needs them!"  
She didn't say anything about her plans about saying yes to him, not even to Mary or Susan. Not to James either, not yet. He was too used to get things his way. She thought that it depended on him being the only child.

"Good morning, Lily!" James said at breakfast next day.  
She noticed that he used her forename. That's better. She didn't dislike her surname in any way but she preferred to be called Lily.  
"Good morning, James", she answered and smiled against him. He grinned broadly and took a place on the other side of the table. He was satisfied with the way she spoke to him – she didn't even scream! But of course, it was only a quarter to nine in the morning…  
James took a scone and filled his mouth with it. "Change' abou' Saturday?" he asked.  
"Actually, I'm not even sure if I want to go, I've got so much other things to do", Lily lied. "That essay in Astronomy and Professor Sprout's questions, you know. And now I must go, I'm in a bit of a hurry", she added before he had time to speak. "See you later."  
"'ood bye", James said, still with his mouth full.  
Lily walked to her History lesson. James didn't take that subject. She didn't love it either, but she had got an O in her OWL:s and continued to read it mostly because of that. The fact was, she hadn't stopped reading any subjects since her fifth year. The only subjects she didn't read were Divination and Muggle Studies. The latter she didn't need and the first she didn't found serious at all. She had no medial powers at all and suspected that it was all a big bluff. Lily wanted to see proofs before believing in something.

Lily continued to be nice to James during the following days, something that made him quite confused. She behaved different but she still wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with him. Sirius seemed to be spiteful.  
"Guess she's is only feinting", James said self-confidently. "You'll fly, just you wait."  
"We'll see", Sirius grinned. "The only thing you succeeded today is that she didn't hit you when you put a flobber worm in her hair."  
"Well, that's something!"  
At the same time, he was getting worried. It was already Thursday evening and if he couldn't charm her now he'd better stop soon. You really had to put the limit _somewhere_. James hated giving up. Sirius wasn't much of a helper but Remus was rather optimistic. He told James that Lily had told him that she actually _could_ go to Hogsmeade with James.  
"You haven't told her, have you?" Sirius asked.  
"_Me?_ Is _that_ what you think of me?" he said. Two seconds later Lily entered the common room. He caught her eye and twinkled. She smiled and looked at James' direction. He really did look quite troubled.

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_Thanks for reading. Please, please, please, review._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Rowling owns the HP world.

This was the chapter that was the hardest to translate, I think. I'm not completely satisfied with everything but well, here it is! Enjoy!  
And if you comment you'll make me very glad!

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**Chapter 3**

By Friday night James was getting panicked. Lily hadn't shown the slightest willingness of coming with him to the village and he started to doubt about his charming skills. He hadn't failed many times so far. James had asked her every day the latest week but she said no every time. He'd lose the bet and Sirius'd tease him about that for ages.  
"Soon it's over", Sirius said after the Friday's last lesson. "Have you polished your broom before your little show?"  
James didn't even answer.

Lily sat in a couch by the fire with Mary and Susan when James entered the common room, dressed in his Quidditch robes and with his broomstick in his hand, a couple of hours later. He had been practising with the team and was cold and wet after the flying in the rain. James saw a free place in the sofa and didn't hesitate to sit down. Lily could say whatever she want, he just had to ask her one more time. Eventually the last time.  
"Please Lily", he begged, sounding almost desperate. "I won't go to Hogsmeade unless you come with me!"  
"Oh, what a pity. Madam Rosmerta'll lose one of her regular customers", she answered without looking up from her book.  
"You … you're so obstinate! What do I have to do to make you say 'yes'?"  
Lily didn't answer him but she couldn't help feeling the laugh bubble in her throat. James sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest. Sirius sat in a corner, grinning. He knew he had as good as won the bet. James looked so miserable Lily almost felt sorry for him. She'd tortured him long enough. It had been fun of course, but it couldn't go on forever.  
"Oh James, don't look so blue", she sighed. "I will go with you if you really want to!"  
"Really?" he burst out and jumped up from the sofa like he was shot form a cannon.  
So did Sirius. He looked very astonished.  
"Yes, if you'll stop nag! But why do you look so surprised, Sirius?" she continued, smiling. "Aren't you happy for James?"  
"Yeah, really", he mumbled and drove his hand through his hair before sitting down again, a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows.  
Remus sat in the arm chair on Sirius left. He could barely keep himself from laughing. Sirius sighed. He had lost. But still, it wasn't a disaster. This would only help him to become one of the most memorable students at Hogwarts. No future marauder would ever live up to his exploits!

It was a very glad James that stood and waited for Lily in the entrance hall at Saturday noon. He was a bit nervous, something that didn't happen to him often. He guessed that it was because of Lily. After what seemed like half an hour though it actually only was five minutes, Lily appeared.  
"Finally", he said. "I was afraid that you'd changed your mind."  
"It's not too late, is it?" Lily smiled.  
There wasn't a surprise for her that he took her hand when they walked through the door. Sirius, Remus and Peter already stood there, waiting for them. The care taker, mr Filch, let them out after checking his long list of students allowed to visit Hogsmeade. James told his friends to stay away from him and Lily and then they started walking. It took them about thirty minutes to reach the village.  
"Where do you wanna go first?" he asked. "Puddifoot's? Godisbaronen? Three Broomsticks?"  
"It doesn't matter. You decide."  
"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks then", James suggested. "Can't keep Rosmerta waiting for me, you know", he continued, smiling.

They walked to the pub and sat down by a table in a lonely corner. Madam Rosmerta came immediately, tripping on pink pumps, and asked for their orders.  
"You take whatever you want", James said. "I'll pay."  
"Oh, such a gentleman."  
Lily ordered a honey beer and the biggest sandwich on the menu.  
"I didn't knew you're that fond of eating."  
"One gets hungry by walking."  
"I'll have the same", James said to Madam Rosmerta.  
James and Lily sat in the pub for a couple of hours. It rained outdoors and they didn't want to leave the warmth for a while yet. They didn't see Sirius, Remus or Peter. James guessed that they were at Zonko's or at Godisbaronen.  
"I'm so glad you came with me here", he said after a while.  
"Yeah? Why?"  
Lily didn't expect him to tell about the bet but she still wanted to her some kind of explanation.  
"You know that I've… liked you for a while. I just hoped that you would stop being so obstinate and actually understand that I'm not as haughty as you think of some reason…"  
"The fact is, James, I felt forced to say yes to you."  
"Why?"  
"Because you'd nag mu ears of if I didn't."  
"You really think so?"  
"I _know_ so."

Lily didn't like to admit that she was wrong but after some hours she could, happily, admitted that she'd judged James to hard. It didn't take much to convict her prejudices. She noticed that when she talked to him face by face he was much nicer than she'd ever thought. He wasn't as childish when Sirius wasn't around.  
They talked about many different things, like their childhood and growths, the school, music and their future plans.  
"I don't know what I want to do after school", James answered when she asked him about it.  
"Something at the Ministry maybe, like dad."  
"Or you can play professional Quidditch", she suggested.  
"I'm not that good. But that's enough about me. What about you?"  
"I don't know either. Working with potions and stuff, perhaps?"  
"That wouldn't surprise me. Guess you'd be the boys' favourite teacher if you succeed Slughorn."  
"You're exaggerating, James."  
"I never do, do I?" he grinned.

A couple of hours later, after the visits at Godisbaronen, Derwish & Banges and Zonko's, the students returned to Hogwarts.  
"Thanks for a nice day", James said when they had reach the portrait hole. "I really had a good time."  
"So had I." Lily smiled and took unwarily a step against him.  
James placed his hands at her waist, held her next to him and bended down his head so they could kiss each other. She put her arms around his shoulders and they stood like that for a long while, until Sirius appeared behind them.  
"May I join you?"  
"Get away, Padfoot!" James said irritably.  
"Alright. Shall I take Wormtail and Moony with me?"  
"Go away!"  
"Don't eat each other", Remus laughed.  
"Are you still hungry? You ate at Three Broomsticks!" Peter added.  
The three boys disappeared into the Gryffindor common room, giggling like little girls.  
"Don't mind them", James said.  
"I don't."  
"Cause I don't, I only care about you."  
They smiled against each other and Lily felt something tingling inside her body. Close at hand, he looked better than usual – his smile actually was quite charming and the brown eyes must have been some of the most beautiful she'd ever seen in a man's face. Well, maybe James wasn't a _man_, he was just seventeen.

Sirius had to manage with his task the day after that. At ten o'clock sharp he flied through the doors into the Great Hall and a couple of turns in the big room. The younger students, especially the first grades, looked very confused. Did the education include this? Some elder boys and girls called encouraging comments and laughed. Sirius waved at them.  
James, who sat next to Lily by the Gryffindor table, looked very pleased with himself.  
"What is he doing?" Lily asked, acting astonished.  
"I've no idea", James smirked. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Absolutely no idea."  
"Yeah, sure", Lily thought. She winked at Remus, who answered her with a broad smile.

The End!

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This was the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed the story.


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